Home edge at helm of security ring

The latest to join the league is Ranjeet Sinha, a 1974 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre. He has been appointed the CBI director. Sinha, who had left the state on a central deputation in 2004, was posted as the director-general of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and supposed to retire on March 31, 2013. He would, however, continue to serve for two more years following his appointment as the CBI director. According to rules, those appointed to the CBI director’s post get a minimum tenure of two years.

Sinha had earlier served as the director-general, railway protection force, additional director-general, ITBP, and the inspector-general of Central Reserve Police Force. He was also posted as the deputy inspector-general and the joint director of the CBI.

Another Bihar cadre senior civil service officer holding a top job in the security establishment is Union home secretary R.K. Singh. A 1975 batch IAS officer, Singh was the secretary, department of defence production, before his assignment in the home ministry.

Besides Sinha, at least five senior IPS officers of the Bihar cadre, are holding key positions in various central police organisations.

One of them is Arun Choudhary, a 1977 batch officer of Bihar cadre who left the state in 1994. He has been appointed the director-general of the Sashastra Seema Bal. His earlier posting was special director-general with the Central Industrial Security Force.

Nehchal Sandhu, a 1973 batch officer of Bihar cadre, is holding the post of director, Intelligence Bureau. The post is considered the highest-ranking in any central police organisation of the country. Sandhu had left Bihar in 1979 and never returned to his parent cadre after he was released for central deputation. Similarly, P.M. Nair, a 1978 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre, is posted as the director-general of the National Disaster Response Force and civil defence. Earlier, he was posted as the special director-general, CRPF, to monitor operations against Maoists. He is on deputation for over one-and-a-half decades.

Shafi Alam, a 1977 batch IPS officer from Bihar, is holding the post of the director-general, National Crime Records Bureau. Alam, who is a batchmate of Bihar director-general of police Abhayanand, was released for central deputation earlier this year.

Another IPS officer of the 1978 batch, R.R. Verma, is serving as the director of Northeast Police Academy.